What Could Have Been
by lejeuparfait
Summary: Although she wasn't written in the books, Elarinya was there from the beginning. This is her story.
1. Prologue

First, knowledge about Elarinya's history would be wise.

Elarinya's mother, Melira, was a human from the Orient (or Asia, if you prefer) who resided in Minas Tirith when she arrived in Middle Earth after her travels from the Far East. She was unlike those who took part in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, mind you, but neighbours of those who were called upon by Sauron.

Not much is known about Melira, other than she was of royal blood, but was disowned after she left her family; something about not being loyal to her country and running to the enemy.

However, Melira didn't believe the old wives's tales of Middle Earth. She had a free spirit and was ever ready for adventure since she was a young girl; she didn't understand why her people were "enemies" of the Free Peoples. Their land was beautiful and those who lived there were kind.

She, like many others who ventured to Middle Earth, fell in love. And to an elf man, no less. His name was Revion, from Lothlórien.

But her family, her travels, her woes and her joys, and her story of love are for another time.

He reciprocated her love, though (that much you should know), and they were married after courting a few years; they understood the eventual pain that would come out of this relationship, but they were willing to endure.

Settling down in Revion's home of the Forest Realm, the newlyweds befriended many elves, knowing it was good to have friends amongst the elves, especially with Melira being a human from the East. They stayed particularly close with Haldir and his family, probably because Haldir and his parents were able to speak the Common Tongue with Melira, even though she had learned Sindarin.

When their daughter, Elarinya (meaning "morning star"), was born another few years later, Melira and Revion loved her dearly and saw her mature during her first 27 years. But, as Melira aged, she realized she wanted to complete her travels of Middle Earth before her death, and Revion, being the ever faithful and loving husband, accompanied her. They left Ela with her godfamily, Haldir's, for half a year or so while they travelled, so she could grow strong and learn from the elves while they were away.

What Melira and Revion didn't anticipate was the pack of Orcs that crossed their path. As skilled as they were in combat, Melira and Revion were slain. Once news reached Lórien, a period of mourning began and ended. Soon after, Haldir's family adopted Elarinya, and the child lived with them, until she was at an age to go off on her own.

Each member of Haldir's family taught her the skills she would need to survive, like how to be one with nature, shoot a bow and arrow, take care of Earth's creatures, sword fight, and so on.

They developed her culture and composure as an elf, teaching her everything they knew, as she would have had to rely on her elf blood to live. As a result, she became as skilled a warrior as her adopted brothers, and her best friend, Legolas.

Since Haldir's family was quite talented and respected within the Lórien realm, each member was in the service of Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, which is how they eventually became introduced to Legolas and his father, King Thranduil.

Ela and Legolas were around the same age, and while growing up, they became fast friends, even though the king disapproved of her blood.

But even after their coming of age and centuries of fighting side by side, they still acted like children when they were together, Ela more so than Legolas, since he was a prince. There were the odd occasions when he would give in to her games and competitions, and they would laugh and act as in olden times.

Many believed Legolas and Elarinya would wed, but this was not so: their bond was already a strong one, after almost 3,000 years. There were many times where at least one was in love with the other, but there was never a good time to act upon it. So they stayed the best of friends.

Because of her adopted family's influence, and the skills she developed, she joined the guard with her brothers, and accompanied them on many patrols and adventures.

Although the grief of losing one's parents as a young child is great, Ela chose to be grateful and not be saddened by the great tragedy: as she grew, she chose to be happy.

She was short in height, but had the thin figure and pointed ears of an elf. Her skin was fair and shone like her namesake suggested. Long, straight dark brown hair adorned her head, which was usually worn free aside from a single thin braid hidden inside her tresses. During battle, the hair around her face would be braided as a crown, so it would be kept out of her eyes, the plait continuing all the way to the end; her single thin braid always present. She also had the biggest and brightest brown eyes anyone had ever seen, even amongst the humans. She stood out from the rest of the elves in the forest, what with her dark features and smaller stature, but she took no offence to the comments of those passing through her home: they just didn't know.

Elves visiting Lothlórien mistook her for Melira, since she had her mother's appearance, and because they had not heard of her mother's death; news had not travelled to their ears nor had they visited the wood for many a century.

While she didn't have any gifts like Lord Elrond or even Legolas, Elarinya was more compassionate and empathetic than an elf...most of the time. She looked out for those around her, usually aware of their moods and possible thinkings. Of course, she had her moments of selfishness, but what being didn't?

Elarinya was a light amongst the forests of Lórien, the untitled princess of the wooden realm. Her gracefulness was well known throughout the Forest Realm, even though she had her moments of clumsiness. She was never one to shy away from danger, however, and regularly chose her tunic and leather boots over the gowns her mother had made for her over the years.

She was closest with Haldir because he was patient with her when she was learning the Elven ways while growing up, and he spent the most time with her.

There were times when others speculated of their relationship too, but nothing resulted from the rumours.

* * *

And now, we can begin.

* * *

_~*Author's Note: __I own nothing except for my baby, Elarinya…_


	2. Chapter 1

Elves have very good hearing and eyesight, as you may have already gathered. So, when the Fellowship came through the borders of Lórien, Haldir and the rest of the guards saw them coming.

And they definitely heard the dwarf say, "Well. Here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox!"

Bows were drawn to shoot in an instant.

"Ooh."

Haldir stepped forward as he said, "The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."

The axe-wielder growled as Aragorn interjected.

"Haldir o Lórien. Henion aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn," he said, glancing at his fellow companions. "Boe ammen veriad lîn." _(1)_

"Aragorn, these woods are perilous." Gimli choked out. "We should go back," he finished curtly, glancing at the arrows pointed in his direction.

"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood," Haldir answered firmly, ignoring Aragorn's plea and boring his eyes into the dwarf. "You cannot go back," he continued, looking back to Aragorn.

Haldir paused then, wondering what he should do. Finally, he decided to take the odd looking group to the elves's main outpost, located not far from where they were, to find out how he should continue.

When they arrived at the platform, the light now gone from the sky, Haldir began, more formally: "Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion," _(2)_ putting his hand to his heart.

"Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien," _(3)_ replied Legolas, repeating the same gesture.

"A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen," _(4)_ Haldir continued to Aragorn, when his eyes lighted on him, as somewhat of an apology.

Aragorn dipped his head. "Haldir."

Gimli grumbled audibly, "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves. Speak words we can also understand!"

Haldir turned to the dwarf, menacingly. "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark days."

"And do you know what this dwarf says to that?" Gimli retorted. "Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" _(5)_

Haldir did not seem fazed (he expected it, actually), but Aragorn took a second to register his displeasure with the dwarf and clapped his hand down on Gimli's shoulder. "That, was not so courteous," he emphasized as he looked Gimli in the eye.

Haldir walked over to the hobbits, Sam and Frodo, with insistent eyes. "You bring great evil with you…" he directed at Frodo.

Turning to Aragorn, he said, strictly, "You can go no further."

Sam, Merry, and Pippin turned to look at Frodo behind them, as the ranger determined to not take no for an answer. He was in quick heated discussion in Sindarin with the marchwarden while the rest of the Fellowship sat or stood, waiting.

Suddenly, fast steps were heard, as though someone was running towards them.

"Legolas!" called out a happy voice.

And a beautiful woman appeared, as though she was looking for something. Or someone.

"Legolas!"

Her doe eyes lit up when she saw the Mirkwood prince, and she ran into his arms.

"Elarinya," he said, held her for a moment, then pulled her back to smile down at her.

"So," she started, grinning, "This is how you decide to come and visit us? By sneaking through our borders with strangers and aiming an arrow at my brother?"

"Orophin drew his bow first!" Legolas said, his smile growing wider as he held his hands up in defense.

Everyone, except for Aragorn and Haldir who were deep in conversation, was looking at them, curiously, since they were speaking in Sindarin.

Legolas sensed this, and turned around to explain: "This is Elarinya. Sister of Haldir," he paused, turning to look back at her. "And my good friend."

"Hello," she said, now aware of her company, bowing her head slightly with a small, shy smile on her lips, cautiously eyeing the strangers. "You can call me Ela, for short."

And then she was introduced to everyone in the Fellowship.

She, unlike the other elves in their company, was gracious and kind to them all. Ela took after her mother that way.

"I was posted more south when I heard you had arrived," she told Legolas. "Then I had to come see for myself, which is why I'm late," she said, sheepishly.

She and Legolas then broke out in the elf-tongue for a while, catching up because it had been a while since they had seen each other last, leaving the others to stay in tense silence.

Suddenly, Haldir broke away from his dialogue with Aragorn, and walked up to Frodo.

"You will follow me."

Ela glanced at the group, finally registering the nervousness in the atmosphere.

"We should probably do as he says," she offered, reassuringly.

They nodded slightly, and did as they were told, filing in a single line behind the marchwarden.

Ela half-hugged Legolas as he walked by her, and finally got a moment to embrace Aragorn, who looked on her adoringly but quickly fell in line with the others.

Then she looked on as they walked away, lagging behind to walk with her other brothers and fellow guards who followed them all at the end of the line.

* * *

_~*Apparently superscript does not exist in fanfiction...Ah well. We'll just do it like this:_

_1) Haldir of Lórien, we come here for help. We need your protection._

_2) Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil._

_3) Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lórien._

_4) Oh, Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us._

_5) I spit upon your grave!_


	3. Chapter 2

As they walked through the woods, Elarinya made her way through the Fellowship, making small conversation with every member.

She tried to keep the mood light with everyone as they neared the centre of the forest, sensing just as much friction as when they left the outpost.

Especially concerning the youngest hobbit.

"Frodo," Ela said, when she reached him, "How are you faring?"

He looked up at her, surprise registering in his sky blue eyes because she was talking to him. But then also because she wasn't all that tall.

"You are small for an elf," he noted, unabashedly. "And you don't look like the others either."

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam exclaimed under his breath.

"It's all right, Sam," she said, chuckling quietly.

"Yes," she continued, "I am rather different. My mother was human, and I believe I get my stature from her. As for my dark hair, I inherited that from her as well."

"She was…" Frodo repeated hesitantly.

"Yes," she said again, a little saddened this time. "She and my father were killed when I was just a babe."

"I'm so sorry," Frodo consoled quietly.

Sam looked up at her with apologetic eyes as well.

"Oh, I am too," she said, smiling a small smile. "But I haven't forgotten how loving they were to me.

"And it was a long time ago," she continued. "Remember, elves are extremely old," she joked.

The two hobbits smirked.

"But you are lovely," Sam stated, deciding to be the bold one this time around.

Ela blushed.

"You are too kind, little one," she said, "Thank you."

An agreeable silence descended on them as they continued walking.

"So," Ela started again, "Where are you from?"

"The Shire," Pippin piped up happily, clearly listening in on their conversation.

She turned to look at Pippin, dimples forming in her cheeks.

"Is it beautiful?" she asked, curious for this land she hadn't heard much about.

"Yes," Merry jumped in, "The most beautiful place in Middle Earth."

"At least," Sam continued, wistfully, "To us it is.

She smiled again.

"Rolling green hills, clear and bubbling brooks, warm and cheerful people," Sam went on to say, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Exquisite food, great drink, wonderful music," Pippin added cheerfully as he wiggled his eyebrows, which caused the she-elf to laugh.

"Our home," Frodo finished, getting a far away look in his eye.

Another lull fell on their talk.

"It sounds lovely," Ela said, breaking the silence. "I'd love to visit one day."

Sam smiled.

"Hobbits are quite the most hospitable folk, you know."

"I'll count on it," Ela grinned.

Then they reached a clearing, which made it seem as though they left the forest, where they stopped to a halt.

"Caras Galadhon," Haldir said, reverently, gazing at the view from the hill. "The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."


	4. Chapter 3

Reaching the City of the Trees, and the base of Celeborn and Galadriel's home, Ela took her leave.

"As much as I love my Lord and Lady," she explained to the Fellowship with a wink, "I don't believe they would want any lingering ears."

Reassuring them that she'd see them after their meeting, and giving a farewell nod to her brothers, she busied herself with making sure her fellow guards in the south were well and that nothing alarming had cropped up while she was away. She then visited her home for a moment, telling her mother of the newcomers, including Legolas.

"Oh," she chirped as soon as her daughter had mentioned the prince of Mirkwood. "Has he come to stay for a while?" she asked quite curiously.

"No, mother," Elarinya answered, exasperated. "They are only staying the night. I fear much has happened since they set out from Rivendell, and they need a great deal of rest."

"What a shame…" she conspired.

"Mother," the young elf warned.

"What? I can hope, can I not?" she countered, beaming.

Ela smiled back.

"Yes, mother."

* * *

Elarinya made her way to the Fellowship's camp, through the lament for Gandalf from her people, hoping to catch them before they fell asleep. She joined in the song on her walk to their resting place, but quickly found it too sad for her liking. She had rather remembered the beautiful things about the grey wizard. Like when Ela first met the man.

A story for another time, once again.

When she neared the group's tents, she heard Sam say, "I bet they don't mention his fireworks."

She paused in her steps to listen.

"There should be a verse about them…

The finest rockets ever seen  
They burst in stars of blue and green  
Or after thunder, silver showers  
Came falling like a…

rain of flowers, oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road."

"I think you did very well, Sam," the she-elf said, startling everyone as she stepped out from behind the hobbits's tree. "Especially if you don't normally compose lyrics," her gentle smile reaching her eyes.

Elarinya stayed to converse with them a while, over Gimli's snoring, making sure they had everything they needed and were comfortable. She stayed when Aragorn went off in search of Boromir, and stayed when he had returned.

She lingered, not for long, until each member drifted into sleep's caress one by one. Even Legolas closed his eyes, which surprised her.

All except for Boromir, who had not yet come back to rest. So she decided to seek him out.

"Boromir."

He jumped slightly and turned to face his intruder.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "I did not mean to frighten you."

His smile faltered.

"I was not scared," he said, aware of the apprehension that crept into his voice.

Ela considered him for a moment.

"Lady Galadriel means well."

He turned his head to look at her for a moment, confused.

She smiled.

"When I was young," she explained, "I created a lot of trouble, even though my parents were nothing but lovely. It's just in my nature," she laughed softly when Boromir had given her a look. "My Lady gave me much attention," she continued, "Eventually speaking into my mind when she sensed something was wrong. It took a while for me to get used to her voice in my head..."

Boromir said nothing, choosing to keep his head down while she spoke.

She knelt on the ground in front of him.

"If she entered your mind," Ela explained, trying to get him to look at her, "It must have been important."

He stayed quiet, head still bowed, trembling a little.

Placing her hand over his clasped ones, he jerked his head up.

"You are a good man, Boromir, son of Gondor."

He saw a twinkling in her eyes, unlike the storm of continued bewilderment she saw in his.

She smiled once more.

"I'm sure of it. You are only now faced with the greatest of temptations, as is everyone else...

"Do not give in," she encouraged.

They stayed like this for a while, letting the words sink in.

Then, she got up slowly.

"Come," she said, offering her hand to the Man, "You must sleep."

"But I—"

"No objections, Boromir," she chided. "I do not believe she will speak to you again."

He hesitated.

"I will stay with you until you slumber," she said gently.

He thought on her words for a moment, and then took her hand.

She led him to a bed, and propped herself up against the tree.

Motioning for him to lay his head in her lap, he did.

And she sang to him quietly, until his eyes grew heavy.

Once the unsettled man was in a deep sleep, she slipped away, allowing the Fellowship to sleep peacefully and soundly without any disturbances.

* * *

_~*And yet there was a disturbance. Poor Frodo.  
__I also can't make breaks in the story with dashes/asterisks/tildes...Which sucks. Because that's usually how I format my stories in Word. Ah well. "Horizontal line" will have to do._


	5. Chapter 4

Elarinya was present, in a light grey gown and cape, when the Fellowship received their cloaks from Lord Celeborn, even donning an Elven cloak on Gimli herself.

"Try to not think so poorly of us," she said quietly to the dwarf when the other elves stepped away. "We're not as bad as you think we are."

Lord Celeborn called Ela before Gimli could reply. She left him with a smile.

"Yes, my Lord?" she asked as she found her way to his side, nervous he had heard what she said to the dwarf.

"Assist Lady Galadriel with her givings."

"Of course," she replied, bowing her head.

As she turned to leave, he put his hand on her arm.

She looked up to see his light eyes examining her.

"You have become a winsome maiden," he said as an explanation.

She blushed, looking down. He smiled.

"Truly our princess."

She looked up at him suddenly, surprised he knew of her nickname.

His smile ever present, he said: "Ever since you were born, Elarinya, my Lady has expected great things for you, like our own daughter."

Then, he leaned down to kiss the top of her head and walked away.

Ela, still stunned, was unsure of what to do, until she saw court ladies with various weapons heading her way. She moved her feet towards them, taking and arranging all of the gifts on herself before making her way back to the clearing, sure that these were the gifts her Lady had prepared for the Fellowship.

She was right.

"My gift for you, Legolas," Galadriel started as Elarinya appeared, "Is a bow of the Galadhrim. Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin."

As Legolas tested the string of the bow, he gave his friend a wink as she passed by. She rolled her eyes at him with a smile on her face.

Merry and Pippin unsheathed the daggers Ela had just given them.

"These are the daggers of the Noldorin," Lady Galadriel explained. "They have already seen service in war."

Turning to Pippin, she continued: "Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage."

He looked up at the elf royal, unsure of whether to believe her words or not, but gave her a small smile.

Lady Galadriel then handed Sam a bundle of rope.

"And for you, Samwise Gamgee," she went on, "Elven rope made of hithlain."

"Thank you, my lady," the hobbit said without the slightest hesitation. After taking a glance at Merry and Pippin's gifts, however, he asked, "Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?"

Galadriel just smiled at him without responding, which caused Sam to look a bit dejected.

Elarinya gave him a reassuring smile as she passed him by though. "She has a reason for everything," she said quietly.

Sam gave her a curious look. "Are you sure?"

Ela's smile deepened, and she nodded quickly before going on to the next in line.

"And what gift would a dwarf ask of the Elves?" asked Galadriel.

"Nothing," Gimli answered. "…Except to look upon the lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth."

Lady Galadriel laughed heartily as Gimli started to turn away, but then turned back to face her ladyship.

"Actually, there is one thing," he recanted, "…No, no, I couldn't. It's quite impossible, stupid to ask…"

"What is it, Gimli?" Ela asked quietly, gently prodding him to ask.

"Well," he hesitated, "I'm afraid that after our journey, I will never be able to set my eyes on my Lady again…I ask if I could have one hair from her golden head."

Elarinya giggled under her breath, as Lady Galadriel's smile deepened.

"Ela," Lady Galadriel said over her shoulder.

"Yes, my Lady?"

"Cut three strands of hair from my head."

The shock on Gimli's face was apparent.

Elarinya smiled, pleased that her ladyship consented to the request, of a dwarf no less. "Yes, my Lady."

After she placed Lady Galadriel's hair in a handkerchief, and gave the gift to Gimli, which he accepted with a very deep blush and a bow before scurrying away, Aragorn came back from his conversation with Lord Celeborn to pay his respects.

"I have nothing greater to give than the gift you already bear," the Lady of Light said to him as she touched the Evenstar around his neck. "Am meleth dîn, i ant e guil Arwen Undómiel pígatha." _(1)_

A troubled expression crossed Elarinya's face.

"Aníron i e broniatha, ad ae periatham athar i methid en-amar hen," he replied. "Aníron i e círatha na Valannor." _(2)_

"That choice is yet before her," Galadriel stated. "You have your own choice to make, Aragorn. To rise above the height of all your fathers since the days of Elendil, or to fall into darkness with all that is left of your kin."

Her ladyship considered what she had just said for a moment, the smallest of smiles on her face.

"Namárië," _(3)_ she continued.

Aragon then put his hand over his heart and bowed his head when she brought her hand under his chin to see his eyes once more.

"Nadath ná i moe cerich," she finished. "Dan, ú-'evedithan…Elessar." _(4)_

* * *

After witnessing the conversation between her ladyship and Aragorn, and being dismissed by Lady Galadriel (even though she had not seen the gift her Lady had for Frodo), Elarinya went to the river's shore to help the other elves and the Fellowship pack their boats with provisions.

"Lembas," she heard Legolas tell Merry and Pippin. "Elvish waybread."

Turning around with another load of supplies, she saw him take a nibble out of one of the pieces.

"One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

The hobbits nodded as the elf turned away.

"How many did you eat?" asked Merry.

"Four," Pippin answered shamelessly. Then, he burped uncomfortably as Merry look on, concerned.

Ela chuckled, overhearing their exchange, and the little ones turned to look at her.

"I'm afraid," she said, suddenly becoming very serious, "Because you're less than half the size of a grown man, your stomachs will burst at any moment now."

"What?!" exclaimed the two, putting their hands on their stomachs and each other's to ensure it wouldn't happen.

Then she burst out laughing, seeing their discomfort and concern.

"My apologies," she said, still chuckling, but trying to contain her laughter as they looked at her once again, "I could not help myself."

"Don't be mean to the little ones, Ela," Legolas reprimanded, a bundle in his arms.

"Still couldn't help myself, meldir," _(5)_ she grinned.

Meanwhile, Merry and Pippin had gotten out of the canoe, and jumped onto her back.

"No one messes with us!" Merry cried as they pulled her to the ground.

Ela suppressed her cries of amusement, half-heartedly fighting back, as they tackled and tickled her, jokingly punching and kicking her as she lay there. The elves around them looked on, half horrified, half amused, since she was still wearing a dress.

Legolas watched too, laughing softly, as he knew she didn't want him to interfere.

She did deserve it.

* * *

Time came for the Fellowship to leave Lothlórien.

Elarinya said her goodbyes, trying to relieve the sadness that had descended upon them once more.

"Na varna, Legolas," _(6)_ she said softly, as he was the last to board a boat, bowing her head.

Bringing his fingers to her chin to tilt her head up, he smiled into her eyes.

"Ui." _(7)_

She returned his smile, and then gave him a hug.

As they pushed off, Ela clasped her hands together tightly, concentrating on not running along the banks after them. She stayed as the other elves started to trickle away.

"You should not worry," a voice behind her called out.

Caught off guard, she spun around. And her eyes widened in delight.

* * *

_~*Who could it be? ;)_

_1) For her love, I fear the grace of Arwen Evenstar will diminish._

_2) I would have her leave these shores and be with her people. I would have her take the ship to Valinor._

_3) Farewell._

_4) There is much you have left to do. We will not meet again, Elessar._

_5) friend._

_6) Be safe, Legolas._

_7) Always._


	6. Chapter 5

"Tauriel!"

Ela ran into her friend's arms. They embraced for a while, overcome with happiness.

"Are you alright? What are you doing here?" Elarinya finally asked, concerned for her friend, pulling her body away from the Mirkwood elf but still in her arms.

"Travelling," was her response, ignoring the first question since the time for it was not at hand. "It's only until now that I've come to visit the 'Heart of Elvendom,'" she teased.

"Have you really been north all this time?"

"North…and west," Tauriel said vaguely, with a slight smile on her face.

"Has it not been dangerous?"

"I made sure to not be seen," she countered. "But enough about me, what has happened? Seems serious."

Elarinya gave her a look. "We will continue this conversation," she warned, and then paused to sigh, "But I fear a lot has changed since we last saw each other."

* * *

"What do you mean they're going to Mordor?"

Ela sighed, this time out of annoyance.

They sat on the grass by the river as Elarinya told Tauriel what happened from the beginning. At least, the beginning of this tale. What happened between Bilbo Baggins's adventure and the one the Fellowship had just embarked on will be explained in due time.

"I have already explained many times, meldir," _(1)_ she said.

"That's no excuse for Legolas to do this alone!" Tauriel exclaimed.

Ela sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time, then muttered under her breath, "He's probably still heart-broken over you too."

"What did you say?" Tauriel asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," the elder elf said loudly, "What happened to 'You should not worry?'"

Tauriel gave her friend a pointed look.

"Alright, alright," Ela said, giving up on Tauriel's change of heart. "One of every kind is a part of the Fellowship, with the exception of the Hobbits and the Men," she continued. "It would have been too much for another elf to go along anyway; you and I both know he's fine by himself."

The daughter of Mirkwood rolled her eyes.

"Alright," she resigned, "What do we do now?"

Elarinya considered her question for a moment.

"We wait," she resigned.

"That's not—"

"I know," Ela interrupted. "I know."

They sat in silence for a while.

"We wait until we're called for," the dark-haired elf said, breaking the silence. "But we will not be idle."

Tauriel looked confused.

"You will go to Rivendell and see Arwen," she explained. "I'm sure you would have continued with your journey anyway, so you might as well go there. She will be needing our strength and comfort now."

"And you?" Tauriel asked. "What will you do?"

"I will stay in Lothlórien," Ela answered as if it was obvious. "I still have my work to do as a part of the guard, and I will hear of news, I'm sure."

The red-haired elf nodded. "I will do as you say," she said, "But I won't leave immediately."

Ela laughed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear."

* * *

_~*I know, you either love me or hate me. But SPOILER (if you haven't seen the last Hobbit), she survives, so I had to include her in this. Anyway, it would make sense, no? Meh. It might just be me. Women kick ass, so it makes sense that they know each other...At least, they should know each other. Girl power ;)_

_1) friend._

_End of 1st movie. - I've written up to the end of the 2nd movie right now, but I haven't quite finished the ending of that one either. It might take another year for me to post that one up, just a head's up._


	7. Chapter 6

It had been a few days since Tauriel left for Rivendell, and even more days until Elarinya heard anything about the Fellowship. When Haldir heard of news about Rohan and Helm's Deep through Lord Elrond (well, actually through Lord Celeborn, but Rivendell's keeper did send a message), he raised a small army of Lórien soldiers to fight for mankind.

Ela considered sending word to Tauriel, but since she was already in Rivendell, the Mirkwood elf probably already knew what was happening. Instead, she sent a message to her friend, telling her to stay with Arwen until the battle was over. As much as she knew Tauriel would jump at the chance to take part in this war, she also knew Arwen needed a friend, especially with her life in the balance.

Once that was done, she tried to convince her brother to let her go with him to the ravine: she had fought in at least half of the battles he partook in. They were a good team, and she would get to see the Fellowship again. She enjoyed their company, she reasoned. Haldir told her she couldn't come; how this was unlike any battle they had ever taken a part of before.

Nevertheless, Elarinya did her best to stow herself away in the ranks of archers without being detected by her brother, but Haldir knew she was there: he could sense her, the bond they had created over the millennia was too great.

However, he did not acknowledge her presence until they arrived at the Keep.

* * *

Sounding their horn, they walked in formation to the gate of the ravine.

"Open the gate!" was what they heard echoed as they neared the entrance to Rohan's fortress.

Marching through the foyer of the great fortress, which brought many slack jaws and smiles to a despairing people, the elves stood in rank while Haldir met with Théoden at the bottom of the main steps.

"How is this possible?" Rohan's king asked in disbelief as Haldir bowed.

"I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell," Haldir replied while the elves came to a halt. "An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought, and died together."

Haldir turned to face Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli once they appeared at the top of the stairs, while he finished his short speech: "We come to honour that allegiance."

"Mae govannen, Haldir," started Aragorn, putting his right fist on his heart, only to second-guess the elf gesture for embracing Haldir tightly. Haldir, a little put off at first, resigned and returned the man's hug.

"You are most welcome," Aragorn said, looking at the elf captain at arm's length.

Then Legolas greeted Haldir in traditional elf fashion, when Haldir's army suddenly turned to its left, to face the king of Rohan at attention.

Haldir, also facing Théoden, concluded: "We are proud to fight alongside Men once more."

Théoden nodded, still at loss, as he started to climb back up the steps to his commanding station.

"Aragorn," the king said before he disappeared from their sight completely.

Aragorn looked up.

"Lead them."

He bowed silently, watching as the king made his way to the wall.

Soon after, Legolas slowly turned to face the elf soldiers, a confused look on his face as if he sensed something strange behind him. Which is when he lighted upon a familiar face, trying very hard to hide a smile behind her hood.

"I fear you have a rogue soldier in your midst," Legolas stated, as he walked up to his friend, a small smile now apparent. After pulling her cap down, Legolas caressed her face as Elarinya looked up into icy blue eyes.

Haldir sighed. "I was aware she was with me since we left the Wood."

Aragorn was delighted to see another familiar face, and went to hug Elarinya, taking no part in the continuing Elven conversation.  
"And yet you did not confront her?" asked Legolas, half-joking, half-serious, turning to face Haldir.

"You know as well as I," he began, walking towards the Mirkwood elf, "There is no changing her mind when she is set in her ways."

"Brothers," Ela started, still in Aragorn's arms, "I am standing right here."

Legolas chuckled, "So you are."

Haldir smiled. Then Aragorn spoke up, releasing the she-elf from his grasp, and said, "Come. We must get you to your posts."

As Haldir and his archers followed Aragorn, Ela broke rank and stayed near Legolas as he watched on, taking off the extra armour she had on.

"Where are the others, Legolas?" Ela asked, as she continued to take off the bulk she did not care for.

"We…separated," he replied, turning to gaze down at his friend as she finished undressing.

Her brow furrowed, worried about the little ones.

"But we know they're alright," he continued, "And right now is not the time to dwell on such things, since we are right on the edge of battle."

Ela nodded slowly as she took in her surroundings quietly, adjusting her tunic and scanning the immediate area.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, peering up at her friend. "About the hobbits?"

He smiled gently towards her. "Yes. Quite sure."

She nodded again.

"I know something has happened," she started, "But I won't press."

Legolas looked down at her.

"Just promise to tell me once this is over," she concluded.

He nodded.

A moment passed before she turned to him with a grin, breaking out into a run and goading Legolas to chase her up the wall, children once again: a silent challenge to see who would arrive at their posts first, and win. He laughed heartily, realizing he missed his friend in the short time they were away from each other, and dashed after her.

* * *

_~* I actually just watched The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies for the second time...I got curious and looked into Tauriel's past, as told by Evangeline Lilly. I noticed that Tauriel and Ela have a lot in common. However, I won't get into that until I start writing and posting for Elarinya in The Hobbit movie. (Oh yeah, it's gonna happen. Trust me ^^)_

_Alright, we're into the second movie! Thanks for being patient with me guys. I haven't quite finished up to the second movie, and I haven't started the third movie at all, but I figured I should post what I have done so far. I'm noticing that I'm drifting away from how I described her in Chapter 1...That happens though. I hope you don't mind._

_Also, instead of posting all the chapters of one movie all at once like I did with the first movie, I thought I should update it regularly...So it stays relevant ;) Thank you to the one reviewer, and the three followers of this story. I appreciate your support immensely._


	8. Chapter 7

It was quiet as the Elven company and the people of Rohan stood at attention at the wall, fun and games now gone, listening to the steps of the approaching Uruk-Hai army.

"You could have picked a better spot," Gimli grumbled as he was unable to see above the wall.

Legolas smirked quietly as Elarinya giggled, unable to deal with the tension surrounding her.

It was then that Aragorn walked up to where the three of them were standing, and Ela looked up at him.

"Well, lad," Gimli said as he also looked up at the man, "Whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night."

Legolas turned to look down at the dwarf when lightning flashed.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn," the light-haired elf added.

Gimli shifted his eyes.

"Let's hope they last the night," he said, haltingly.

Ela really tried to suppress her laughter this time, finding it incredibly amusing that the dwarf could make jokes at a time like this. Aragorn and Legolas just exchanged small smiles when Aragorn clapped a hand on both of his friends's shoulders and walked back to his position. The she-elf trailed him, making her way to the end of the row, to Haldir's side.

It thundered again soon after, and rain began to fall.

Once she was near her brother, she put a hand on his back, letting him know she was there, and then stood beside him.

As the Uruks were nearing the Deep's wall, Aragorn began to shout amongst the ranks of elves: "A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn…an uben tanatha le faelas." _(1)_

The leader of the Uruk-Hais then let out a yell, causing the soldiers to halt, and a silence descended on the battlefield once more.

"Are you ready?" she asked quickly, turning her head to look at her brother.

He smiled. "No. But I have to be."

She smirked. "Why do you put yourself in these situations if you don't want to be in them?"

"Because," he replied more seriously, "When someone asks for aid, you always go to his or her side, never mind the circumstance."

He turned to face his sister, and she looked up at his face. "Always," he repeated.

She took in his facial features, taking care to store this moment into her memory.

The Orcs's leader let out another cry causing the army to pound their spears on the ground and to chant at their opponents, like a battle warm-up of some sorts. Aragorn unsheathed his sword as the ten-thousand-strong army kept beating their weapons against the ground or their shields or their own bodies.

Suddenly, an arrow flew out of nowhere and hit an Uruk soldier in the neck.

"Dartho!" _(2)_ Aragorn yelled.

"Oh dear," Elarinya said under her breath as she shook her head, thinking it was probably one of the old men within Rohan's ranks who lost his strength while pulling back the string of his bow.

Haldir stayed at attention, choosing to ignore his sister's comment.

The Uruk-Hais were clearly displeased with a death of their own before the battle had even begun as they started to roar and become more riled up. Their leader once again let out a cry, which signaled their commencement.

"Tangado a chadad!" _(3)_ Aragorn shouted as they neared the wall, which was echoed down the wall.

The elves, including Haldir and Elarinya, cocked an arrow into their bows and took aim in one fluid motion.

"Faeg i-vary…dîn na lanc…a nu ranc," _(4)_ Legolas said to his people, for he knew they could hear him, just before Aragorn cried, "Hado i philinn!" _(5)_

Their arrows flew straight and true, in continuous waves, killing many of the Orcs.

Cries of "Fire!" were heard on their left, presumably the Rohirrim beginning their own attack.

"Hado! Ribed!" _(6)_ shouted Aragorn once more, motioning for the elves below the wall to begin firing their arrows.

Many more of the enemy was killed. Until the Uruk-hais decided to send arrows back to the wall: Elves were beginning to get pierced by arrows, falling backwards as well as over the wall.

"Pendraith!" _(7)_

"They would!" Elarinya cried, changing her aim to those carrying the ladders.

"Swords!" Aragorn yelled a minute later. "Swords!"

And as soon as they unsheathed their swords in another fluid motion, the Uruks came over the wall.

Chaos ensued, and Ela got separated from her brother, fighting her own fights.

She somehow got close enough to hear what Gimli and Legolas were yelling at each other:

"Legolas! Two already!"

"I'm on seventeen!"

"Whaa?! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!"

She smirked as she stabbed another Uruk in the chest, now considering the number she had slain.

"Nineteen!" she heard Legolas shout.

Cutting down another Orc, she almost called out her number, but then thought better of it, continuing to encounter more enemies with her sword.

* * *

"Seventeen! Eighteen! Nineteen! Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two!"

"Causeway! Na fennas!"

There was so much going on that Elarinya couldn't quite keep track of her surroundings. The only thing on her mind, in that moment, was to find her brother again...And the impending enemies around her, of course. Even though she was an exceptional swordsman, her human half could only take so much action for so long. But she endured. For her friends.

Then, an extremely loud sound was heard behind her, and the ground shook momentarily.

She turned around to see her kin flying in the air, her friends lying on the ground…and a giant hole in the Deeping Wall.

"Erumaillë," _(8)_ was all she could whisper before another Uruk-hai started coming her way.

She sighed, mentally preparing herself for the next few hours, and let a small dagger fly from her fingers, which lodged itself in between the Uruk's eyes.

When she looked up, she saw Haldir still up on the wall, battling what seemed like a line of the beasts. She ran towards him, slicing a few of the Orcs on her way to him.

"You were right," she called out as she ducked under her brother's swing to dismember and behead one of Saruman's soldiers with her sword behind her brother.

"Right about what?" he yelled back, as he stabbed another one.

"This is nothing like the other battles we have fought together!" she cried, almost laughing at her own disbelief and parrying a blow from another monster.

This continued for a while, and I'll spare you all the action that occurs. Let's just say that there was a lot of it, and it really did go on for many an hour. Ela and Haldir got separated once again in the midst of this, but still within shouting distance.

At one point, Ela heard King Théoden shout, "Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!"

"Nan barad!" Aragorn clamoured to the Elves. "Nan barad!...Haldir! Nan barad!" _(9)_

She looked up to see how far she had gotten from her brother. He wasn't that far, so she decided to keep fighting until he got to where she was. She heard him shout, "Nan barad!" and heard the light steps of her people brush past her. Elarinya waited for her brother to come near so they could go to the Keep together, avoiding blows from and killing some Uruks, when she heard him cry out in pain.

Sure that no other enemy was in her immediate vicinity, she spun around to his direction, saw him look at his arm briefly, and saw him turn, not noticing the Orc, who had a mace above his head, behind him.

"HALDIR!" she screamed, scrambling to make her way to him, tears threatening to fall.

"Haldir!" she heard Aragorn cry, as he too was making his way up the wall.

Haldir fell to his knees, seemingly dazed at what just happened. He swayed in all directions, his eyes roaming his surroundings as he tried to take in a breath.

By the time Aragorn got to him, it was too late: his head fell back on Aragorn's shoulder as Aragorn wrapped his arms around the elf's body.

Ela fell on her knees as she neared, just a second before the man caught her brother.

"No," she whispered, her voice cracking and tears streaming down her face. "No…"

Aragorn put his hand on his heart before putting it on Haldir's heart.

"NO!" she cried, blind with rage as she swung into action, killing everything in her path.

She couldn't have cared less if she was injured, or killed: her gentle and playful demeanor vanished in an instant, and she now needed revenge on the creatures that killed the ones she loved.

Her mother. Her father. Her people. Her brother.

"Ú-dano i faelas." _(10)_

* * *

_~*horvath70, how did you know? ;) Anyway, thank you everyone for taking the time to read this, and follow, and favourite. It has been crazy seeing the support from you guys this past week. I hope you like this new chapter too._

_1\. Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none.  
__2\. Hold!  
3\. Prepare to fire!  
4\. Their armour is weak...at the neck...and beneath the arm.  
5\. Release arrows!  
6\. Hurl to flow! [Whatever that means.]  
7\. Ladders!  
8\. Mother of God...  
9\. To the Keep! Pull back to the Keep!...Haldir! To the Keep!  
10\. No mercy._

_PS. I'm sad I had to take out the part where Legolas says to Gimli, "Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?" Aah, hands down probably one of the funniest parts in all of the movie trilogy. But I wanted Elarinya to be with her brother at the beginning of the battle, so I had to take it out. _


	9. Chapter 8

_~*I am still blown away by your guys's response to my character...Enjoy ^^_

* * *

Legolas kept an eye on Elarinya as she went on her rampage, ever close by. He saw an enemy blade graze her waist at one point, leaving a bleeding cut in her leather tunic. He remarked a scratch on her cheek and a gash on her hairline, staining her face red with her own blood. He observed her swings becoming slower, as the weight of her sword was taking its toll on her body.

Not that she would have noticed, him or how her body was breaking. She was too caught up in her emotions to really notice anything except for the Uruk-hai.

When he finally did say something, less than an hour later, he kept it short and sweet: "Come."

She nodded curtly, watching her friend move swiftly amongst the crowd, finally feeling as though a ton of bricks just hit her. She avoided swings from weapons and decisively killed those who tried. She pulled the rope with Legolas and another Rohirrim that had Aragorn and Gimli dangling over the wall. And she followed the three of them farther into Helm's Deep as the shouts of "Fall back!" fell on her muffled ears.

* * *

"The fortress is taken," King Théoden said, despairingly as the Uruks charge a battering ram against the final door the survivors were holed up in. "It is over."

Elarinya was sitting on one of the wooden benches in the room, lost in her thoughts, as Raniver, an elf officer, was taking care of her wounds as best he could. She looked up from the floor and her broken heart when the king spoke, finally noticing what was happening around her.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it!" Aragorn countered. "They still defend it! They have died defending it!"

The king and Gamling stayed silent.

"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" the man asked.

Théoden looked dejected as Gamling looked towards his king.

"Is there no other way?!" Aragorn exclaimed, as dishes clattered to the floor.

"There is one passage," Gamling said after hesitating, since his king seemed to have lost hope. "It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far, the Uruk-Hai are too many."

Aragorn considered his answer for a second, and then put his hand on Gamling's shoulder: "Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!" he said as he pushed the page towards the caves.

"So much death," Théoden finally said.

Gamling and Aragorn looked at the leader of Rohan.

"What can Men do against such reckless hate?" he asked.

Ela closed her eyes at the question, one last tear rolling down her cheek, putting a hand on Raniver's shoulder to let him know he could stop, that she was alright. The elf officer stood silently, and kept an eye on her and the scene.

"Ride out with me."

She looked up to see Aragorn directing his statement to the king, who was taking interest in his words.

"Ride out and meet them."

Théoden took steps towards the ranger.

"For death and glory."

"For Rohan," Aragorn countered. "For your people."

Gimli, who was standing and watching the scene before him as well, suddenly said: "The sun is rising."

Elarinya saw the look of recognition in Aragorn's eyes.

"Yes," the king said, garnering everyone's attention again. "Yes…The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep. One last time."

"Yes!" Gimli offered, raising up his axe, running to sound the horn.

The she-elf looked towards the door again, seeing that it had almost been breached now.

"Let this be the hour," Théoden said, putting his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, "When we draw swords together."

Aragorn gave him an approving glare.

Suddenly, horses filled the room, and everyone in the room, from the few of Rohan to the rest of the elves, straddled themselves on one of the animals. Still with a heavy heart, Ela gracefully swung herself over onto one of the horses.

"Do not go, my lady," Raniver said, standing next to her horse. "Too many have died."

"I'm too tired to argue with you now, Raniver," she sighed. "But we are here to honour an allegiance. So please."

He considered her resolve, and then nodded, getting on a horse himself.

"Fell deeds, awake," King Théoden began.

"Now for wrath." Aragorn unsheathed his sword.

"Now for ruin," Théoden continued. "And a red dawn!"

And as the king put on his helmet, the horn blew, the door broke in half, and he shouted, "Forth Eorlingas!"

With that, they rode their horses out from the room, through the Keep, down the causeway, and onto the battlefield below, all the while slashing Uruks who found themselves in their path.

The she-elf swung her sword as well, drained from the emotion she had expelled earlier in the night, but not willing to admit defeat to the evil creatures.

They had made it outside the Deep's walls when, over the sound of blood rushing through her ears and the sounds of metal clanging against metal, she heard Aragorn whisper, "Gandalf," as she slit the throat of one of the Uruk-Hai.

"Gandalf?" she yelled, still busying herself with the Orcs, who were surrounding themselves around her horse.

Then she heard the king say, "Éomer."

She paused in cutting down her next unawares victim to look up, now confused.

"Who's Éome—"

And she faltered.

On top of an eastern hill, she saw a multitude of horses standing at attention, waiting. As did many of the Uruk-Hai.

"To the king!" was what she heard next, first said by a loud clear voice, and then echoed by the rest of the horsemen.

What she saw next was a sight to behold: horses and their riders coming down the hill to meet the now re-ranked Uruks, until the sun broke over the hill and just about blinded the enemy, allowing the Rohirrim to overtake them.

_My morning star._

It was at that moment, however, that an Orc decided to take her down from her horse.

"Argh!" she cried, blindsided, falling on her back just to see an Uruk charging after her.

She reached for her weapon, which had fallen out of her hand when she fell, but it was out of reach. She eyed her predator down, unwilling to look scared in her final moments and waiting for the sting of a sword to meet her skin, when the tip of a spear appeared through his chest.

Ela rolled out of the way before the monster fell on top of her, grabbing onto her sword as she tumbled, only to find herself at the feet of a horse, and its rider.

She stood up quickly, feeling the need to tell her "hero" off, when she felt his arm grab hers and lift her up onto his horse.

"What is a maiden doing in such a battlefield?" he asked, still swinging away at the Uruk-Hais around them.

"What is a man's intention in bringing a maiden up onto his horse?" she retorted, a little unnerved by his actions, "I was doing fine."

He smirked. "From where I was sitting, I think not."

She took a moment to absorb her captor in. From where she was sitting behind him, she could only see the white horse hair flowing from his helmet blending in with the long dark blonde hair from his head, and the hard leather of his armour.

Elarinya scoffed and jumped down from the horse to charge into the mess of Orcs.

He caught glimpses of her as she walked away, surprised but fascinated at her swift, fluid, and graceful movements as she cut down multiple Uruks.

"Who is she?" he thought to himself.


	10. Chapter 9

_~*Haha, yes NicholeRenee224, Éomer has been introduced! I feel like all of you guys can read my mind or something... ;) Anyway, here's the next chapter!_

* * *

"Victory! We have victory!"

Ela had eventually found her way to Aragorn, who let her up onto his horse, and continued to kill as many Orcs as possible. When it was evident that the people of Rohan would not cede to loss, the remaining Uruk-Hai ran from Helm's Deep and into Fangorn Forest. The Rohirrim, ever proud, went to chase after them.

Ela saw Gandalf, the White instead of the Grey, smile and laugh, which caused her to smile as well. She couldn't believe he was alive. When she turned to look at Aragorn behind her, however, the expression on his face was as solemn as the grave.

"What is wrong, Aragorn?"

He was startled, but recovered quickly as he lifted the corners of his mouth. "Nothing. Pay no mind to me."

She doubted his words, but did as he said, turning her attention to the horse riders once more and nudged their horse to join their ranks.

Éomer rode across the front of the company to put them to a halt, shouting, "Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!"

Elarinya watched the man for a moment, wondering what his position was in this company, but then turned her gaze to the retreating Uruks. They all watched the enemy army go into the forest…And saw the trees moving and making noises. Everyone looked on in awe and fear.

After a moment, when it was clear all the Orcs had been killed, the Rohirrim let out a cry of complete joy, raising their shields and swords, coming down from their horses, patting each other on the back, giving hugs, and so on. Ela herself gently jumped down from Brego to go and stand by Shadowfax's side.

The Lord of all horses turned to look at her for a moment, then decided to ignore her, while the wizard looked down to see who had approached him.

"Elarinya."

"Hello Gandalf," she said, looking up, her smile showing on her entire face.

He dismounted Shadowfax and she immediately went into his arms, as the others headed back to the Keep, including Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

"You've been through much this night," he said as soon as she was in his arms.

Ela smiled. "I have, but I am alright now. Mother calmed me down."

"Ah," he said, pulling her at arm's length to look into her eyes. "Melira always did find a way to be comforting, wherever she was," he explained with a wink.

She grinned.

"Come. We should be heading back."

With an arm around the other, they walked towards the fortress, Gandalf telling her what had happened to him since Moria.

* * *

"Alright, the battle was won, tell me what happened," Elarinya said with folded arms.

She found Legolas and Gimli discussing their kill count outside the Deeping Wall, and smirked, wondering if she should tell them hers. She decided it against it of course, not wanting to spill their fun.

The elf and the dwarf exchanged glances, causing Gimli to sputter and trudge away. She watched him go for a while before turning her eyes back to her friend with a pointed look.

"Aah," Legolas hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't avoid me meldir," Ela said softly.

He sighed. "Fine, but you've already lost so much..."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

So he told her everything that happened after they left Lothlórien in the boats.

Legolas could see the pain growing in her eyes as he spoke, and when he was done, she quickly looked away, over the vast field of destruction and death. He waited for her to say something.

"I reminded him he was a good man the night you all slept," she began, still gazing at the fight's end result, "I told him to take heart and be brave, to fight against the darkness all of you were facing, because it wasn't just him who felt that way. I said to resist...

"Seems as though my words were in vain."

He shook his head. "You meant well," he offered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"But not well enough," she said, burying herself into his embrace.

They stayed this way for a long while, just enjoying each other's company like they hadn't done in a very long time.

* * *

After her moment with Legolas, Elarinya went to find Aragorn inside the Keep's walls.

She witnessed him being embraced by a fair-haired woman.

"Éowyn," the ranger introduced, "This is Elarinya, marchwarden of Lothlórien. Ela, this is Éowyn, the king's niece and Shieldmaiden of Rohan."

"My Lady," the half-elf said as she bowed her head, and Aragorn left them with a smile.

"You were in the company of the elves?" Éowyn asked curiously.

"Yes," Ela answered, "I couldn't let my brother and my friends go to battle without me."

"Is it common for elf women to go to war?" Éowyn questioned again.

"No," the elf answered hesitantly, unsure of why the woman would ask such a thing, "But if a time ever called for it, they would be ready to fight.

"Excuse me, my Lady," she said, bowing once more, "But I must tend to my kin."

"Oh, of course," the White Lady replied.

And with that Elarinya went to find the rest of her company.

* * *

"Raniver?"

"Yes captain?"

"You know not call me that," Ela said softly. "I have not earned that title."

"Amongst our people, here, you have," he replied.

Ela looked at him sadly. "Yes, I suppose I have."

Shaking off the feeling, she continued, "How are the rest?"

"Some are wounded, a few are worse for wear, but otherwise well," he answered.

She nodded, about to say something, when he interrupted.

"You are one of the worse for wear ones," Raniver said, motioning to the bandage he had put on her earlier, now bloodied.

"I know," she sighed, "I fear my strength isn't as good as it should be either."

A short quiet descended on the two.

"Get everyone ready to leave this place," Ela said. "We should not linger any longer."

Raniver bowed and went on his way to spread the word.

"Going already?"

* * *

_~*Who could it be? ;)_

_So, I just wanted to explain, when Elarinya says "Mother calmed me down" (via the "my morning star" italics in the previous chapter) and Gandalf mentions Melira (who is Ela's birth mother), I wrote that in because in my mind, Melira is still with and around Ela all the time, sometimes more apparent than other times...It's kinda weird and random but I like it._

_On another note, after thinking about it for a few months now and discussing it with someone in private messaging, I realize that Legolas and Gimli's kill counts are a little unrealistic...Or maybe it's just that my concept of sword play is unrealistic._

_Here's what is bothering me: if you think about it, does it make sense for a 12-ish hour battle would only result in around 40 kills for the elf and dwarf each? I don't think either side took breaks while fighting, so they were only able to kill about 3 Orcs in an hour's time? Since I'm following the movie version, it is hard to comprehend, isn't it? I guess I'll just have to deal with it, but in my head, the main characters would have killed at least 100 or more of the enemy each (taking into consideration how skilled they were, how many of the enemy there was, and how many of Rohan's people were killed in the process [initially 300 vs 10,000 remember?]). I'm crazy nit-picky about these things, so yeah :D If someone could clarify this for me, even a little bit, I would appreciate it immensely._


	11. Chapter 10

Elarinya twirled to the voice she recognized behind her.

"You."

It was the man who had "saved" her earlier, with the king, Gamling, and the members of the Fellowship.

"My lord," she said, bowing to Théoden after noticing his presence.

"Lords, actually," the king corrected.

There was a pause.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"My nephew," he said, motioning to the man on his left, "Éomer."

Ela shifted her eyes over, finally getting a good look at the man's face.

He was handsome, in a rugged way, like Aragorn. He was slightly taller than her friend, however, and had a bigger build, and his hair was darker than light. His eyes were a piercing dark hazel, as though he was constantly at war. With what she didn't know.

"You and your sister look nothing alike," she commented bluntly.

Legolas gave a slight cough.

"My apologies," she said, waking up from her observation, and lowering her head.

Éomer studied her for a moment, his gaze unreadable, causing Ela to shift her weight. Then he said, "Éowyn takes after our mother, and I, my father."

She bowed her head once more, not daring to look into his eyes or say another word to the man. The rest of the company exchanged glances and drifted their eyes between the she-elf and the king's nephew.

"So," Aragorn interrupted, "You are leaving us?"

"Yes, for now," she answered. "My kin miss home."

At this, the king's nephew narrowed his eyes just slightly, but she continued to speak.

"There are so few of us returning, and I would like to return as well, to comfort my family and to regain my strength with my people."

"Will you be joining us again?" Legolas asked.

"Do you miss me already, dearest?" the she-elf teased, forgetting whose presence she was in. Éomer looked on at their comfortable exchange.

"I do," the archer retorted with a smirk.

She shook her head with a smile.

"I should like to visit Edoras," she replied, turning her attention back to king, "It would be an honour to meet you there when you return from Isengard."

"We would be lucky to have you," King Théoden said.

Just then, Raniver was at her side. "We are ready, my lady."

She gave him a look, silently chastising him for calling her that.

The elf soldier cleared his throat. "Elarinya."

She smiled, nodding her head in approval. "Alright then.

"Safe travels, my lords. Friends," she said before turning around to follow Raniver.

* * *

_~*Alright guys, this is the last chapter of the second movie. I have only just started the storyline for the last movie, so it might be a while before I start updating again...This will be the end of weekly publishing for now._

_I also changed the title of the story. It would have happened eventually, but at the time I started writing this, I couldn't think of an appropriate name. Hope it's not too confusing for you!_

_And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this [short] chapter. _


	12. Chapter 11

The elves journey home was swift. Although the horses of Rohan were bred for war, they did well crossing the plains to the Golden Wood quickly, especially after some encouraging Sindarin words. When they reached the borders of Lothlórien, the elves set the horses free, to find their way back home or to stay in the Elvin realm.

Elarinya was happy to be home and with her people. They had lost many at Helm's Deep, and the mourning was great. The elf's heart was heavy but she was also at peace.

She sent a message to Rivendell to let Arwen and Tauriel know she was all right, and that she would eventually find her way back to the Fellowship, but word came back that Tauriel had left Elrond's house to continue with her adventures.

"Her heart is still on the mend," Arwen wrote. "I believe it will be a while before she gives up on her travels. She can't stay when she longs to go...Who am I to keep her?"

Ela smiled. Arwen was always the wisest one of the three, mostly because of her father. They both also had a soft spot for the Mirkwood elf, so they would usually let her do whatever she wanted.

"Brat," she whispered to herself, laughing.

* * *

As her wounds healed, Ela visited the places she loved growing up: the tree she often climbed and read in, the brook she lay by and fell asleep to, the garden she tended to when her emotions got the best of her. She also went to the places she remembered to love: the area her mother and father first settled into, the tree-grown bench her godmother told her that they died, the paths she ran when Haldir was teaching her to fight, the field where she first met Legolas, the platform where she started out as a marchwarden. And then, she visited the glade the Fellowship had rested in when they needed rest.

Ela didn't really know what she was doing there, but she sat on the grass and snuggled into one of the tree's roots, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A warm presence gently woke her up.

"Elarinya," a soft voice said.

She smiled. "Hello, my lady."

The voice's owner stepped into her sight.

"Why are you here?" Galadriel asked, gracefully joining the half-elf in the grass.

"I don't actually know," she answered. "I just felt drawn here."

Galadriel smiled. "You do nothing without a reason, dearest."

Ela considered that for a moment.

"I'm just remembering."

The Lady of Light said nothing, as did the other elf.

_You must go back._

Ela glanced at her ladyship, but she would not return her gaze.

So they stayed seated and silent for a while, until Ela found herself alone.

* * *

Elarinya expected to stay in Lothlórien for longer; however, her mother thought otherwise.

"Return to your friends," the older elf told her when they found themselves together once again.

She was surprised; this was the second time someone was telling her to do so. "The period of mourning is not over, mother."

Her mother smiled gently. "You have been brought up in the ways of the elves, and yet you still have many human qualities."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"You always find your way home," she replied. "Even though you inherited Melira's adventurous heart and your father's wandering spirit, you come home. Other elves your age wouldn't bother coming home for millennia."

Her mother continued, "And even though our blood does not run through your veins, you do not hesitate to call us mother and father."

"Because you are my family," Ela stated quietly. "You taught me everything I know. I owe you a debt, especially since Haldir is gone."

"My darling, you owe us nothing," she replied. "Haldir has passed on, yes, but he would not want you to dwell on his death. Continue to live beautifully for us, and honour your fallen people, your brother, and your parents with what we have taught you. That is all we could ever ask."

Tears formed in the half-elf's eyes.

"Yes, mother."

* * *

Before she left, Elarinya visited the stone she placed where she spoke with Boromir. The reason Galadriel spoke of.

"Rest well, son of Gondor."

And off she went, riding on the horse that brought her home from the Deep.

* * *

_~*It has been a long time. Figured I should at least post this chapter up, since I may or may not have left at a weird place the last time I updated...__Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you liked/didn't like about the story so far. See you!_


	13. Chapter 12

_~*It has been some time now...I missed writing this story! Let me know what you think :)_

* * *

By the time Elarinya made it to Edoras, Rohan's people were well into the feasting and drinking of their victory at Helm's Deep. She was even surprised to get a glimpse of Legolas calmly downing a pint of ale, with Gimli spewing nonsense after each cup.

"It's the Dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women!"

She shook her head with a smile.

"Elarinya."

Her eyes widened as she turned around.

"My lady Éowyn," she said with a bow of her head. "You may call me Ela."

"Of course, Ela," she replied with a smile.

Giving the elf a once over, she continued, "My uncle told me you would be joining us, but you're not prepared for a feast."

Ela looked down at her mud splattered uniform. She didn't want to think what her face looked like, probably chapped from the wind and bug ridden.

"Well," she replied sheepishly, as she heard the sound of growing clapping and cheering and possibly Merry and Pippin singing along to a fiddle, "I did not want to ride in a dress…"

"Come," the White Lady said with an outstretched hand, "Let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

The two women were in Éowyn's quarters, small enough to be cozy but large enough to wonder how a single person could live in such a space. There was a fire lit in the hearth, which cast a warm glow, and enough light to see a bed, a table, and a couple chairs. Almost everything was covered in some kind of fur or heavy blanket.

As soon as they arrived in her chambers, Éowyn immediately had her maidservants draw up a hot bath for her guest. It was an odd sensation for Ela, cleaning in a wooden tub of sorts, but also enjoyable.

The shieldmaiden had just finished pulling the half-elf's hair back into a loose braid after helping her into a gown: a gorgeous off-the-shoulders piece, the colour of Lórien's leaves with silver trim. She had protested profusely when she saw it being brought out, since she wouldn't have been at all comfortable and since the other woman was wearing something much simpler, but Éowyn insisted.

"Nothing else I own would look better, really," she explained.

Elarinya gave her a disbelieving look, but gave in anyway and sighed, smiling. "Next thing I know, you'll be pulling your title on me," she said teased.

The king's niece smiled. "You never know."

The skirt and the sleeves were too long for her small frame, but the bodice fit her perfectly.

"My brother has been asking about you."

Ela whirled around. "I'm sorry?" she asked, unsure of what she heard.

Éowyn shrugged as she went about the room, cleaning the little mess they had made. "I just overheard Éomer trying to bring up your name to Aragorn once or twice."

"I haven't told him my name."

"Then he must have overheard it from somewhere."

Ela turned to face the fire once again, consumed in her thoughts.

The White Lady then stood beside the elf.

"He just wanted to know who you were," she confided, answering one of her new friend's unsaid questions. "Not that Aragorn would say anything…"

"Aah, Aragorn," Elarinya knowingly said, turning to look at the woman's face.

An embarrassed expression crossed Éowyn's features. Since she said nothing, Ela went on. "You enjoy his company," she stated, not bothering with a question.

The lady blushed.

"He is kind, and a good warrior…and quite handsome," she said quietly, yet unable to conceal a smile. "What's not to like?"

Elarinya considered Éowyn for a moment with kind eyes, aware that the king's niece did not know of Arwen's decision.

"He is a good man," Ela finally said, turning back to look at the flickering flames.

"We were talking about Éomer though," the sister said, a little frustrated.

"Hm, yes," the half-elf smiled, but quickly faded to a more serious expression. "I have never been in this situation before."

"I don't believe that," Éowyn scoffed. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen with my own eyes. I'm sure the men in your home fawn over the ground you walk on."

"Please," Ela reddened, "Elves do not behave in this manner, and we do not value our appearance over our skills...And in regards to other elven women, I do not compare.

"Besides, you are the fairest in these lands. I would not like to be compared to you on such a day."

"Well," the shieldmaiden concluded, "Today is that day."

"But—"

But the half-elf didn't get a chance to finish her thought, as the Lady of Rohan took her by the arm and led her into the Golden Hall.


	14. Chapter 13

Time didn't exactly stop when Elarinya entered the feasting area, but some breaths were held, even in their jovial and drunken state. She almost shined in the dim light of the king's court, her fair skin contrasting much from her dark hair and dress, as well as the warm coloured Hall.

She tried to not be self-conscious in how much skin she was actually showing, but it was difficult since this was not how she was normally clothed.

"Are you alright?" a voice said behind her.

She turned and looked up to see who joined her, realizing then that Éowyn had left her to find her own way.

"Legolas," she said with a smile.

"You're uncomfortable," he noted.

"Éowyn didn't give me much choice," she explained, looking down to motion to her attire.

"You look beautiful."

Ela looked up at the elf with a raised eyebrow as if teasing.

"N-Not that you're not beautiful every other day," Legolas stammered, "It's just that I don't see you…dressed like this often…"

Her eyes softened into a smile. "Thank you my friend."

"And I'm not the only one who has noticed…" he trailed off, his eyes wandering through the crowd until he briefly landed on one man.

She knew whom he was talking about without following his gaze.

"I know I'm supposed to act gracious and feminine in this gown," she said, "But I'm still me, Legolas. He can come to me."

"And he will," he said, nodding for her to look behind her.

Ela turned again, and saw Éomer standing right in front of her.

Her eyes widened, then looked over to speak with Legolas, but he disappeared into the crowd of rejoicing Rohirrim.

"You came," the king's nephew said, causing her attention to fall back on him.

"I did say I would," she replied, eyeing the soldier.

There was a pause, the commotion from the festivities drowning out the awkwardness between the two.

"May I have a word with you, in private?" Éomer suddenly asked.

Ela's eyebrows rose. "Of course, my lord."

He nodded, and turned around, creating a path for the half-elf to follow. Once they reached the front doors of the Golden Hall and before she could protest, he picked up a cloak and put it around her shoulders, then promptly exited into the night.

Once they were outside and standing at the far corner of the porch, the man took a deep breath. She was standing and waiting just behind him, wondering what he had to say.

"Who are you?" she heard him ask, so softly and with a little tone of accusation that she thought he didn't say anything.

"Pardon?" she said, wanting him to repeat himself.

"I…" he started, then stopped.

Another pause.

"I just wanted to know who you were," he explained, "I've heard some and I've asked…But to no avail."

Her smile was not seen by Éomer as he still hadn't turned around to face her. "It's because my friends know I wouldn't like them talking about me behind my back."

Now he turned. "Even if someone wanted to know about you?"

"Especially then," her smile still apparent. "I would personally want to tell them myself."

And so she did.


	15. Chapter 14

They talked throughout the night, the king's nephew and the half-elf. She told him about her family, blood related and not; of her upbringing and her station in Loríen; of her friends and how she met them; and of her recent encounters with the Fellowship. She even told him about the small things in her life, like what made her happy, what made her sad, and what made her laugh until she cried.

"I have moments where I need to be with someone," she said at one point, "But then I also need to be alone once in a while. My godmother tells me its my human and Elvin qualities clashing."

Éomer was surprised to learn she was a couple thousand years old, but not incredibly shocked since he guessed earlier that she was Elvin, or at least partly.

They were now seated in a room, fire blazing and mugs filled with tea in their hands. Colour had started to form in the sky, which meant the sun would rise in an hour's time. Ela was curled up in an armed chair while Éomer was sitting on a settee of sorts, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

Elarinya didn't take as long telling him about herself as you would think, even if she did have some years on him. But she was conscious of the fact that she wanted to get to know him as well. So, an hour before daybreak, as they made their way into warmth, she began to ask about him and his life.

She learned he and his sister lost their parents when they were both young, like she, and that the king had taken them both as his own son and daughter. He became a skilled warrior of Rohan and was given his father's post of protecting a part of the kingdom. He told her he enjoyed riding his horse outside of battle and guarding the land, but had little time to do so…

"In general," he said a little wistfully, "I don't have much time for leisure so I don't know what makes me happy or sad or laughing so hard until I cry."

She considered him for a moment. "In these times, I wouldn't blame you."

They talked about their combat training and styles, their preferred weapon of choice, their companions…

"We have many similarities, you and I," she said after a lull, smiling softly.

He looked up at her, not saying anything. Even though she was in a dress that didn't fit her perfectly and that she was shielding her body with her legs, he saw her truly comely in that moment. Maybe because she seemed to really care about him or maybe because she was at her most vulnerable, but he couldn't help but feel…a stirring in his heart. We won't call it love, since it's way too early for that, but we can call it a start.

She met his gaze, then said as she unfolded herself from the chair, "You should rest, soldier."

Surprisingly, he didn't feel tired even after staying up all night with her: she had this energetic quality about her that wouldn't allow him to sleep even if he tried. But, he was human, and as soon as she said the words, he felt his body drain.

"Just for a couple hours," he grunted, putting his legs up on the divan.

Ela chuckled, sensing his honour crumble a little in front of her. She stood to lay a fur blanket over him. His eyes were already closed and his breathing was steady.

"Sleep well, Éomer."

* * *

_~* Hi all! It sure has been a long time. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that your 2017 is off to a great start. I decided I want to complete this story by the end of this year, so thank you for sticking around as long as you have. The end is near...maybe...muahahaha ;)_


	16. Chapter 15

"…for Minas Tirith. And I won't be going alone."

Ela entered the Golden Hall at these words, and felt the tensed atmosphere.

"Good morning," she called out, as she got closer to the group by the fire.

Instead of going to sleep like everyone else in Rohan's capital, the half-elf decided to explore her surroundings and get comfortable with the environment. She decided she would stay with Aragorn and company until she wasn't needed anymore, so she felt the need to get acquainted with the city. She was very thorough, even going into the servants's quarters, the kennels, and the stables. She eventually found her riding uniform too, clean and dry, which she promptly changed into. She also ventured outside the walls of Meduseld and Edoras after the sun rose, to feel the wind on her skin: Ela could never be inside for too long.

When she snuck back into the kingdom (for she didn't know what was allowed and not allowed for her as a guest), she sensed something had happened…

"Good morning my dear," rang Gandalf's voice, "How has your stay been?"

"Lovely, thank you," she smiled, putting her arm around Aragorn's waist, he putting his arm on her shoulders, as the wizard put his hand on her cheek, leaving the group to make preparations for his departure.

"Truly," she said, turning towards the king, "Your niece has been very good to me and it hasn't even been a day."

"She sees a friend in you," Théoden tried to explain, "I will take my leave here though. Enjoy your day."

"Thank you, my lord," Ela said, everyone else present just nodding as the king turned away.

"So," she drawled, after a minute of quiet, "What happened?"

Gimli grunted and walked away, unaware of how to deal with the situation; Aragorn smirked at the dwarf's reaction, gave the she-elf a kiss on the side of her head, and also walked away; and Legolas, who was looking at her the entire time, just gave a quick side-glance at Pippin and smiled before joining Gimli. A kind smile on her face, Ela walked towards the hobbits.

Merry was still standing beside his friend as she quickly folded herself to sit on the floor in front of the younger Halfling.

"You don't have to tell me everything, but do tell me something," she said, looking up into avoiding eyes.

Pippin sighed, and then hurriedly said, "I did something I wasn't supposed to do, like always, but it helped, a little, because Gandalf said I saw Sauron's plans for a place called Minas Tirith, and I think we're going with him."

She took a moment to process his quick words, then nodded slowly.

"Not as bad as I thought then," she finally said with a bright smile.

Merry looked at her with disdain and was about to say something in retort when Gandalf entered the Hall once more.

"Time to go," he called out before reaching them.

The elf stood up from her seated position and pulled Pippin into a hug. "You'll be alright, little one," she said to him softly.

He hugged her back as Gandalf swooshed past them and called out once more, "Quickly!"

She pulled away, pointedly rolled her eyes playfully for the little one to see as she gave him another smile, and sent him on his way, praying for his safety.


	17. Chapter 16

"I slept longer than I would have liked," a deep voice echoed behind her.

Elarinya turned around at the sound and saw Éomer rub the sleep from his eyes as he descended the few steps from behind the king's throne, his dark blonde hair slightly unkempt from his slumber.

"You have come from battle, a long journey home, and a long night of festivities and chatter, I would have expected an even longer rest," she said, stepping forward to meet him halfway.

He shook his head and smiled, "Not while you are here."

One of her eyebrows raised on its own accord. "May I ask why?" she asked.

Éomer only kept his smile and walked towards one of the dining tables, picking up a plate to choose his first meal of the day from the bounty.

"I figured I would allow my men some relaxation after the hell they've been through," he explained as he chose meats and bread, "So for the first time in my entire life, I have leisure."

She just stood near and continued to watch him, waiting for him to finish his thought.

"I…" he started, only to pause again. "I would like to see you ride."

"Ride?" she repeated, unable to disguise the surprise in her voice, "I don't think the horse I rode here has reposed enough for me to ride her now," she reasoned, trying to understand why he was asking this of her and to escape his request.

"You can ride another horse, we have many here," he counter-argued.

"I have bonded with that horse, I do not think she would be pleased with me choosing another," Ela said.

"'Her'? 'She'?" he smirked, repeating the half-elf's use of pronouns.

"Yes, she," Ela confirmed resolutely, her anger rising slightly to go on: "Did you think you only had male animals in your kingdom? Or is it that your company only rides male horses because they are stronger than the females? I would disagree wholeheartedly, the females are a hundred times stronger than the males since they sire the future steeds of your men."

"And here I witness your temper once more," Éomer chuckled as he walked towards a table.

"It is not easily tamed," she seethed, following him from behind.

"Well, I would like you to join me in my free time," he stated, sitting down, "Shall I make it an order?"

She smouldered on the inside and threw daggers in her gaze, to which he noticed and smirked again.

"Yes my lord," Elarinya said, gritting her teeth, "I would love to accompany you on your jaunt."

"Then it's settled," he said happily after swallowing a mouthful of chicken, "We will meet here in half an hour's time."

She nodded curtly, bowing her head, and then turned on her heel to get out of this man's sight before she did something she would regret.

She let both doors of the Golden Hall open when she pushed against them, announcing her frustration to the soldiers standing guard. They stood rigid when she walked behind them, wondering if she was mad enough to start sparring with them. When she did nothing but pace for a long while, they loosened their muscles and looked forward without a second thought.

Some time even later, Aragorn returned to Meduseld with Merry by his side as she continued to walk back and forth. She didn't even notice their approach until Aragorn cleared his throat, a few times actually, to get her attention.

When she finally looked up and saw him, she asked, "What is it?"

"Um, were you supposed to have an audience with the king's nephew?" he asked from the open doorway, confused. Merry looked inside the building as well, and swivelled his head back and forth between the scene in front of him and the half-elf behind him.

Ela thought about his question for a moment before the answer dawned on her.

"Oh traako,"_(1) _ she muttered under her breath and walked to where the ranger was standing to see what he was seeing.

At the foot of the throne, she saw Éomer pacing the width of the steps. Waiting. For her.

She took a step into the hall and raised her voice, "Éomer!"

He stopped in his stride to look up, and then rushed the length of the hall towards them.

"My apologies," she said softly as he came closer, "I didn't realize it was time to go, I did not mean to delay you."

"No matter," he said monotonously when he brushed past her to trot down the stairs towards the stables, "Come."

She looked after him for a while before she glanced at Aragorn and Merry watching her, their eyes wide and Merry's mouth agape. She gave them a weak smile before running off to catch up with the man.

* * *

_~*I just wanted to thank you all for your support. I hadn't checked the email address attached to this account for a long time so when I did, I was astounded at the amount of favourites and follows, and even the views when I eventually looked at my traffic stats. Thank you to those who have left reviews too (emilia lozano el in particular (; ).  
I hope you're enjoying the story so far. More to come next month!_

_Haven't used much Elvish in these chapters, so y'all probably forgot about my translating method...WELL XD _

_ 1\. Oh shit._


	18. Chapter 17

When Elarinya arrived at the vast stables, she winced as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were many people milling around, catering to the needs of the horses, brushing their coats and cleaning the stalls. She stopped by the horse she rode to Rohan to see how the animal was doing. Fara, what Ela named her, brayed happily at the half-elf's arrival, conveying her gratitude at being brought home. One of the people milling around told her that the horse's name was actually Wynha.

Eventually, Ela found Éomer brushing a white grey-speckled horse and speaking to it in hushed tones. He wasn't aware of her presence yet so she just watched him, witnessing how caring and loving he was to his animal.

"I think you'll like her," she heard him say, which woke her from her reverie, "I mean, she's an elf and in tune with everything natural, so obviously you'll like her, but even if she wasn't an elf, I think you'd still like her."

She smiled at his babbling, slowly stepping forward.

"There you are," she said with a smile, "This place is vast, I didn't think I'd be able to find you."

The horse in his hands whinnied quietly at her.

"Mae govannen muin," _(1)_ she whispered, extending her hand to its nose and bringing her forehead to its. After a beat, she walked to the horse's side to look into his eye.

"His name is Firefoot," Éomer offered as he watched her. The horse nodded slightly and stamped its hoof.

"The pleasure is mine," she said softly, patting the animal's neck.

"Even though your horse is bred for war, he is very gentle," Ela finally directed at Éomer, "Unlike someone I know."

"Yourself?" he blurted, keeping his eyes trained on her.

She smirked. "Yes, myself," she agreed, "And you."

"Me?" he scoffed, "Well…"

"You were aloof and lively with me during our conversation last night," she explained, "However I glimpsed your fierceness in war, your frustrated nature at not being able to learn more about me through Aragorn, and you were upset when I kept you waiting but you said nothing. Not as mild mannered as you think you are perhaps?"

"I know I am not gentle," he stated, leaving it at that as he busied himself getting Firefoot ready for their leisurely ride. She continued to stroke the horse's neck and face though.

"He is beautiful," she said loud enough for Éomer to hear.

"You will be riding him."

"Pardon?" she asked, surprised.

"You don't have a horse," he explained, shrugging, "Or rather, you don't want to ride the horse you rode here so you will ride mine. I will ride my sister's."

"I would be more comfortable riding Éowyn's horse I think," Ela said, "Besides, her horse wouldn't appreciate the extra weight you carry."

He gave her a look.

"Where is it?" she asked, aware that she made her case.

He used his chin to motion across the way, causing her to turn her head in the other direction and see a grey horse in the stall adjacent from Firefoot's, getting readied by none other than Éowyn.

"Many pardons, I did not notice you my lady," Elarinya said, bowing her head as she approached the pen's gate.

"That's quite alright," Éowyn smiled knowingly, "And you may stop with the formalities, Ela, we're friends."

The half-elf returned the woman's smile. "Of course."

"What's its name?" she then asked, walking through the gate to look into the animal's eyes as an introduction.

"Windfola," the shieldmaiden answered proudly, "She's a descendant of the Maeras."

Windfola nodded a few times and huffed when she calmed.

"An honour to meet you," Ela chuckled as she stroked the horse's nose, then teased under her breath, "I think we have similar temperaments."

Turning to the light-haired female, she asked, "Are you well? I did not see you again last night."

"With reason," Éowyn pointed out, her gaze clearly falling behind the elf to her brother, "He told me you spoke all night."

"We did," she confirmed, "And I thought he'd be more discreet."

"I asked," Rohan's White Lady admitted, "I didn't see either of you throughout the evening either so I thought…"

Elarinya gave her a scolding expression without the malice. Éowyn laughed.

"Are the two of you done gossiping?" Éomer's voice rang out impatiently.

"Yes brother," Éowyn replied dryly, rolling her eyes to Ela. The smaller one grinned, mounting Windfola smoothly once the woman stepped back.

Giving one final nod to Éowyn, Elarinya urged the horse to trot out of the gate, following Éomer to the stables' exit.

"I much look forward to your time here Elarinya," Éowyn commented to herself happily, then tidied up the stable before walking back to the Golden Hall.

* * *

_~*I went on a frickin' rampage of writing this story recently. I'm good for the next foreseeable six months or so. I might even double post one of these months, depending on how many chapters I get to (I do want to complete this story by the end of the year). Be ready._

_Thank you to the people passing by, followers, reviewers, and favourite...rs! You all have been lovely for the most part I guess ;)_

_1\. Hello dear._


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